DECATUR, Ill. - Junior catcher Veronica Rodriguez (South Bend,, Ind.) drove in the winning run on a two-out, walk-off  RBI double to left-center field in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead the Carroll University softball team to a 3-2 victory over Millikin University to cap a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin doubleheader at Workman Family Field on a Sunday afternoon.
It was the third conference sweep of the season for Carroll, which improved to 8-2 in the conference standings (second place) and 20-10 overall to remain in the thick of the league title race with six games remaining in the regular season.
The victory took on added significance as the Pioneers reached the 20-victory plateau for the first time since 2016.
Carroll has won 20 or more games in three of the last four seasons under the guidance of head coach Amy Gradecki.
The Pioneers collected the first run in the bottom of the second on an RBI single to center field by junior second baseman Maggie Erdman (Jefferson, Wis.).
Millikin, which dropped to 4-8 in conference and 17-13 overall, answered with a two-run rally in the top of the fifth as junior left-fielder Taylor Jordan delivered a game-tying run-scoring single to right field and senior third baseman Brooke Heimerl stole home.
Carroll tied the game 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single to center field by sophomore left fielder Rosalie Jrolf (Dousman, Wis.), who finished 3-for-3 to power to the Pioneers' eight-hit attack.
Freshman right-hander Rachel Piontek (Green Bay, Wis.) earned her first CCIW victory, allowing two earned runs on three hits with a strikeout and two walks in going the distance.
Piontek, who threw a total of 87 pitches, forced 10 flyouts and 10 groundouts in the contest - including three consecutive flyouts in the top of the seventh - ultimately setting the stage for the Carroll offense in the bottom half of the inning.